Happy fall, y’all! I’m getting a little teary because this is it … the final regular installment of Deubt-to-Debut! (Keep watching this space for a year-end Book Two round-up with 2018’s D2D veterans before the end of 2019! And I may very well be back with a Book Two update in 2020 too, cause that’s how I roll.) But … in terms of the regular Debut-to-Debut interviews I’ve been so thrilled to run over the course of 2017, 2018, and 2019, I could not think of a better way to close out this series that has been so close to my heart than with today’s interview with the awesome Brittney Morris, author of SLAY.
If you’re joining us for the first time, here’s what this series is all about: as a debut young adult author myself, (See All the Stars released from S&S/McElderry in August 2018), I found myself eager to start a conversation with a variety of authors in the debut year before, during, and after my own about their books, YA and the writing life more generally, and the experience of putting a first novel out into the world. I wanted their wisdom, and I wanted to share it with other authors, emerging writers, and readers. So every month or two, I chat with a fellow young adult debut novelist, and then I share our conversation with you. You can find all the interviews in the series collected right here. There’s so much goodness in the D2D archive to explore!
I recently corresponded with Brittney Morris about her debut young adult novel, SLAY (S&S/Simon Pulse, September 24, 2019).
From the jacket:
By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the Black man.”
But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”
Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?
KIT FRICK: Hi, Brittney! I’m so excited to chat with you about your debut novel, SLAY. One of the things I loved most about SLAY was how the novel digs in deep to the IRL issues faced by the book’s core characters—the main character, Kiera; her sister, Steph; and Kiera’s boyfriend Malcolm—and the very different perspectives these three teens bring to the table as the only three black students at a mostly white high school. What was important to you when building your cast and developing your characters?
BRITTNEY MORRIS: As I was writing SLAY, I wanted to include Black characters who were all shades, all income levels, all genders, all sexualities, and all geographic locations. I knew I couldn’t do that with a dozen or so characters, but each one is complexly shaped by their unique circumstances. Kiera’s sister Steph is the fierce take-no-nonsense Black feminist young woman I wish I could’ve been in high school. Kiera’s boyfriend Malcolm holds some strong beliefs about white people and how Black people should stay focused on what’s important to us and not get distracted. And Kiera herself is kind of caught in the middle, figuring out what Blackness means to her. I wanted to show how individualized cultural expression is, and why you can’t use your One Black Friend™ as a spokesperson for all Black people.
KIT: So true—thank you for bringing these characters to life on the page!
Now, let’s talk worldbuilding! After school lets out, Kiera steps into her role as Emerald, the game developer behind SLAY, in collaboration with her business partner, Cicada. What can you tell us about your creative process for developing the awe-inspiring online world of the book’s eponymous virtual reality card game?
BRITTNEY: Aw, you called it awe-inspiring! Thank you! I’ve been watching video game lets-plays since I was in college. (For reference, that was back when Ray William Johnson was the most subscribed YouTuber). I’ve seen so many gorgeous games with stunning visuals (like No Man’s Sky and Bioshock Infinite) and audio (like Oxenfree and One Hand Clapping), so I had lots of fodder to fuel my vision for the world of SLAY. I wanted vibrant, I wanted fiery, and I wanted Black-as-hell. Since I wrote the first draft lightning fast, I thought of cards lightning fast. I was just grabbing tidbits of my childhood and cultural elements that I know are important to thousands of Black people, and turning them into wieldable powers that duelers can use in the ring. I let the cards determine the atmosphere. For example, I wanted you to be able to feel the heat off the fireballs from the Alabama Sunshine card and see the cloudiness of the purple haze from the Jimi Hendrix card. I tried to incorporate all five senses in the VR world to make it feel real. I wanted a Wakanda simulator video game, and I wanted it to feel as realistic as possible.
KIT: It’s so cool, everyone. You have to read to really see it all come to life!
Now tell us something about SLAY that isn’t apparent from the book cover or flap copy. We want the inside scoop!
BRITTNEY: I don’t think I’ve ever written a book without a Studio Ghibli reference in it. There are a couple in SLAY. Keep an eye out! Also, Kiera’s in-game character is named Emerald, because the first badass, intimidating, powerful character I thought of from my childhood, was mob boss Emerald from You Got Served.
KIT: I love the origin of Emerald!
What gives you the most joy about your life as a YA writer right now? What’s bringing you satisfaction at this moment in time?
BRITTNEY: I do lots of meditation and yoga, and I try to live a life of gratitude all the time. But something that I’m especially grateful for is the ability to write full time. That’s been my lifelong dream since I was nine, and it feels incredible and surreal to be able to wake up, dream up a world, write it down, and share it with so many people. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that satisfaction.
KIT: The publishing journey is unique for every author, but it’s safe to say that the road to book publication is filled with surprises, twists, and turns for all of us. What has surprised you most about the process of putting a first book into the world?
BRITTNEY: Oh, man, the rollercoaster from my first SLAY query to pub day, seems like a whirlwind, but before that, my journey to getting published seemed to take forever. I’d love to say I did this one thing differently and suddenly my query letter landed squarely in the hands of the perfect agent, but so many different factors played a part—writing quality (my god, have I learned a lot about writing after diving back into reading a few years ago), timing (tastes change in the publishing industry like the weather), and frankly, commercial appeal (I thought my last book was genre-bending and edgy, with characters of varying ages that allowed the book to transcend audience labels … when it was really just a tough book to categorize, and therefore hard to sell).
KIT: Drawing from your own unique experience, what advice would you to give to future young adult debut authors, or debut novelists in general?
BRITTNEY: Three things.
1. Find some writer friends! The #Novel19s Facebook [debut] group has been a wealth of wisdom and solidarity for me. My fellow debuts constantly remind me that I’m not alone (whatever I’m going through as a debut).
2. Ask questions! No question about being a debut is too ridiculous. No debut knows first-hand what they’re doing. All authors were new authors at one point, so if you don’t know something, or if something feels off, or if you feel alone about something, please ask!
3. Enjoy the ride! I’m taking my own advice on this one. I know that even with all of my anxieties (I’m generally an anxious person) and fear of failure, I’m living my childhood dream. No one, not even my own fear, deserves to take that joy away from me. So I’m just enjoying learning! Meeting new people! Traveling! Figuring out how to be clever on Twitter! Meditation and self-care helps it all sink in more comfortably.
KIT: Excellent advice, all around. Thanks so much for chatting, Brittney!
Brittney Morris is the author of SLAY. She holds a BA in economics from Boston University because back then, she wanted to be a financial analyst. (She’s now thankful that didn’t happen). She spends her spare time reading, playing indie video games, and enjoying the rain from her house in Philadelphia. She lives with her husband Steven who would rather enjoy the rain from a campsite in the woods because he hasn’t played enough horror games.
Website | Twitter | Instagram
Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press and edits for private clients. She is the author of the young adult novels See All the Stars and All Eyes on Us (out now from Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books). I Killed Zoe Spanos, her third YA thriller, will follow in June 2020.
SLAY is out now! Allow me to recommend your local indie, in addition to Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
That’s a wrap! I can’t believe three years of Debut-to-Debut interviews have come to an end, but watch this space for a Book Two year-end round-up with 2018’s D2D authors with second books out this year, coming your way before the close of 2019. Thank you for coming along for the ride!